Music is a significant part of every worship service and a key aspect of every ministry. From first time attendees to longtime church supporters, what church members think and feel when they hear your audio creates a lasting impression. Congregants draw conclusions based upon a church’s audio system, including the professionalism of the church and financial health of the ministry.
When a church uses a patch work of solutions, this becomes a problem waiting to happen. Nothing distracts from the message on the platform and the spirit in the songs then microphones which feedback during solos, music mixes which bury some instruments and overemphasize others and a sound system that fails to fill the church area so that everyone in attendance can hear both the music and the message.
A new issue that ministers, boards and volunteers now need to consider is interference from individual handheld electronics such as smart phones and tablets. These can compete with wireless microphones and instrument pickups when they are all assembled into a relatively small space. New equipment is now engineered to minimize interference.
One key to presenting the best audio possible is an evaluation from objective set of ears. Invite an experience audio technician to attend a service and listen live to the music team and the minister. His findings can serve as an objective evaluation to maximizing investments in equipment. Quality results are important to assure buy-in from donors and tithers. Since these will be made from donations, the key is to work from the best overall recommendation. Unlike other programs, quality audio is a tangible item for a ministry. Investing in and maintaining reputable and well matched products insure that this will serve the church for years to come.
Whether the music team is composed of volunteers from the congregation at large or professional musicians who play for a living, ministers and church boards must accept that quality audio is a necessary investment. As part of the service, every vocalist, instrumentalist and speaker on the platform has to have ready access to microphones. The sound system should fill the room with audio that sounds natural and inviting.